


Heart-Over-Heels

by areyouarealmonster



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Background Thea Queen/Lisa Snart, ColdAtom Week 2017, Earth-2, M/M, Mayor Lisa Snart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-11-06 07:45:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11031747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/areyouarealmonster/pseuds/areyouarealmonster
Summary: On Earth-2, Leonard is assistant to his sister, who is Mayor of Central City. Ray Palmer is a world-renowned heart surgeon, who just happens to be hosting a fundraiser for Lisa's re-election campaign.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ruthc93](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ruthc93/gifts).



> Coldatom Week Day #7: Multiverse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "—and don’t forget about the fundraiser tonight,” Leonard finishes, and Lisa groans. 
> 
> “Do I have to? I hate those things; everyone is so boring.”
> 
> “Yes, sis, you have to,” Leonard reminds her. “These people want to give you money for your reelection campaign. They want to give you money. You have to go, and you have to socialize, and you have to be nice to people, or they won’t fund your campaign.”
> 
> Lisa sighs, resting her head down on her arms. Leonard leans forward to pat her head gently.
> 
> “Come on, Lis’, I’ll be there as a buffer, how bad can it be?”
> 
> “Awful,” Lisa says, popping her head back up to take another sip of her coffee. “Why can’t we just stay in? We can watch Doctor Who and eat popcorn and drink wine! I didn’t become mayor to socialize, I became mayor to fix this city. To make at least this small pocket of the world a better place.”
> 
> “I know,” Leonard tells her. “It’s just one night. And who knows, maybe you’ll meet someone cute!” He winks at her and she rolls her eyes back at him.

Leonard walks into his sister’s office, carrying breakfast and coffee for the both of them, his tablet shoved under his arm.

 

“Good morning, sis,” he says, fumbling with the door and almost dropping his own mug of coffee. Lisa laughs at him, and he glares. “Hey, just because you’re mayor doesn’t mean you get to laugh at me. I’m still your big brother!”

 

Lisa continues to laugh as Leonard finally gets the door shut by balancing on one foot to swing it closed with the other and drops everything on her desk, almost spilling the coffees yet again, but this time on Lisa’s important papers.

 

“Watch it, Lenny!” Lisa cries, steadying the cups so they don’t end up tipping over.

 

Leonard sighs and plops down in the chair in front of her desk, pulling out his tablet. “Maybe if you got up and helped me instead of laughing at my struggles, you wouldn’t worry about me spilling on your desk.”

 

“Whatever,” Lisa says, rolling her eyes. “Okay, _brother_ _dear_ , what’s on the schedule for today?”

 

They fall into their normal daily pattern: they eat breakfast and drink their coffees while Leonard goes over her schedule, reminds her of her to-do list, and fills her in on anything she may have missed in the last 12 hours.

 

“—and don’t forget about the fundraiser tonight,” Leonard finishes, and Lisa groans.

 

“Do I have to? I _hate_ those things; everyone is _so_ boring.”

 

“Yes, sis, you have to,” Leonard reminds her. “These people want to give you money for your reelection campaign. They want to _give you money_. You have to go, and you have to socialize, and you have to be nice to people, or they won’t fund your campaign.”

 

Lisa sighs, resting her head down on her arms. Leonard leans forward to pat her head gently.

 

“Come on, Lis’, I’ll be there as a buffer, how bad can it be?”

 

“ _Awful_ ,” Lisa says, popping her head back up to take another sip of her coffee. “Why can’t we just stay in? We can watch _Doctor Who_ and eat popcorn and drink wine! I didn’t become mayor to socialize, I became mayor to fix this city. To make at least this small pocket of the world a better place.”

 

“I know,” Leonard tells her. “It’s just one night. And who knows, maybe you’ll meet someone cute!” He winks at her and she rolls her eyes back at him.

 

“They’ll all be boring, rich, old people,” she responds, but she starts going through her papers anyway, moving on to the next topic, and Leonard knows he’s won.

 

* * *

 

Lisa was right. They’re all boring, they’re all rich, and they’re all _old_.

 

Except for the host of this little shindig: world-renowned heart surgeon Ray Palmer. As Leonard and Lisa make the rounds of the room in his beautiful mansion, Leonard finds his eyes landing on their host more often. He tells himself it’s because Palmer is the only person there close to his age, but he knows it’s because the man is _gorgeous_. Palmer is tall and lanky, with wide shoulders and arm muscles that bulge even in his button-down and maroon sweater. Leonard is more than a little enamored, and he finds himself blushing the few times he catches the other man’s eye.

 

Lisa had met with Palmer previous to this, but Leonard never had, even though he’d heard about the man from Lisa. She thought he was stuck up, but kind, and he didn’t stare at her ass or her tits, so she gave him a gold star. Plus, he’s very active in politics when he isn’t saving the world, one surgery at a time. He’s one of the biggest supporters of her campaign, which Lisa thanks him for when they finally make their way over to him.

 

“Ah, the Snart siblings!” Palmer exclaims, his eyes large and excited and a wide smile perched on his lips.

 

“Ray,” Lisa says, leaning forward (and up—he towers over her even in her shiny gold stiletto heels) to kiss his cheek, “it’s good to see you! Thank you _so_ much for putting this together.”

 

Palmer beams at her. “It was my pleasure!” He turns to Leonard and holds his hand out. Leonard takes it, and enjoys the firm handshake the other man gives him. Of course Palmer has a great handshake: his job relies on his hands. Leonard spares a quick glance at those long fingers, wrapped around his own, and swallows. Palmer doesn’t seem to notice, only continues talking. “I’m Ray Palmer! Well, you probably already knew that, since you manage Lisa’s schedule. Anyway, it’s very nice to meet you, I’ve heard only great things about you from your sister!”

 

“Leonard. And, uh, thanks,” Leonard replies. “We appreciate your support.” He knows his answer is stilted, but, shy as his sister may purport to be, she’s still the more outgoing one of the two of them. Leonard’s always been the quiet, nerdy sibling. He adjusts his glasses, giving himself time to breathe, and sees his sister grinning evilly at him out of the corner of his eye. _Great_ , she knows the effect Palmer is having on him. She does know his taste in men, after all.

 

“Of course!” Palmer says. “Lisa is a fantastic mayor, one of the best I’ve had the pleasure of working with, and I’ve worked with a lot of mayors.” He says it matter-of-fact, like he’s saying he’s worked with a lot of redheads. “In fact, I had some ideas about staffing for the campaign this year, if you don’t mind my input. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help with your initial election campaign a few years ago; I followed it from Jordan, when I was there with Doctors without Borders.”

 

Leonard doesn’t know why he’s surprised that Palmer works with Doctors without Borders, but he definitely finds it fascinating. He doesn’t get a chance to ask about it, though, or hear Palmer’s ideas for campaign staffing, because a petite woman with chin-length wavy hair steps into the conversation.

 

“Ray,” she asks, looking up at him, “we’re running low on red wine. Do you have a stockpile somewhere that we can tap into?” Then she realizes who he’s talking to and looks embarrassed. “Oh, sorry, Mayor Snart, didn’t mean to interrupt.”

 

Lisa smiles, slow and sweet. And, well, Leonard knows his sister’s taste in women, and this woman is very much her type. She has a cute, pixie-like face, juxtaposed with very lovely arm muscles, clearly defined in her sleeveless dress. Yup, definitely Lisa’s type.

 

“It’s no problem at all,” Lisa purrs, and Leonard has to stop himself from rolling his eyes. His sister had refrained from rolling his eyes at him tripping over his words with Palmer, so it’s only fair he does the same for her. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

 

The woman blushes slightly, and Leonard can’t help himself from making eye contact with Palmer, who meets his gaze and winks. Leonard’s sure that he’s the one blushing now, but he turns back to hear the girl say, “I’m Thea. Thea Queen. Ray is a family friend, and he’s is letting me stay with him while I open up a branch of the nightclub I own in Starling City, here in Central City. My staff is managing this event.”

 

“Thea Queen,” Lisa repeats, holding out her hand, “very lovely to meet you.” Thea reaches out and clasps her hand in return. “Thank you,” Lisa continues, “for lending Ray your staff. This function is wonderfully run; you must be a fantastic owner. I look forward to visiting your club when you open it.” Lisa pauses, dramatically. “I think I remember approving a permit for it: Verdant, right?”

 

Thea grins. “That’s the one!” She’s evidently pleased that Lisa remembers, and Leonard is impressed by his sister’s memory. She’s brilliant.

 

“Thea,” Ray breaks in, and the two women look at him like they’ve forgotten there was anyone else there, “I’ve got a few cases of reds that I don’t mind opening for this, down in the cellar. I’ll show you which ones.” He puts a hand on her mid-back, and leads her in the direction of the basement, calling over his shoulder, “I’ll be back, Snarts! We’ll talk!”

 

Then he and Thea are gone, leaving Leonard and Lisa alone for a second. Lisa lets out a long breath. “Well,” she says, “this party is turning out to be more fun than expected.” She grins over at him, and he finds himself grinning back.

 

“It sure is. That Thea girl seems like a spitfire,” he says, and she laughs, the sound ringing out through the hall.

 

“Sure does!” Lisa leans forward, grabs hold of his arm, and whispers in his ear, “And I’m pretty sure Ray would like to _eat you alive_.”

 

“Lisa!”

 

She steps back, winks at him, and then spins and walks out into the crowd, leaving Leonard to flounder along behind her.

 

* * *

 

“Hello, hello, is this on?” Palmer’s voice rings out over the crowd, followed by tapping on the microphone he’s talking into. There’s a collective laugh from the crowd, along with a few people shouting the affirmative. “Great!” He beams, and Leonard feels his heart skip a beat.

 

“How is he that gorgeous?” Leonard mutters in Lisa’s ear, and she snickers at him.

 

“Want me to set you two up on a date, big bro?” she asks.

 

Leonard blushes, shaking his head quickly. “No, definitely not, he’s way out of my league.”

 

“Lenny—” Lisa starts to say, but Palmer goes into a speech, and she focuses her attention on him.

 

“Thank you all for coming tonight!” Palmer says. “We all know why we’re here, to support our wonderful Mayor, Lisa Snart, in her reelection campaign. I just want to say a few words before I invite Mayor Snart come up here to speak for herself. As I told her and her brother earlier this evening, I have worked with many mayors in my time, and she remains one of the best I have worked for, for many reasons: her dedication, her drive, and, if I may make a slight pun, her _heart_.”

 

He grins, proud of himself, as the crowd laughs.

 

“Because, you know, I’m a heart surgeon,” he explains, and Leonard groans.

 

“He’s a _dork_ ,” he mutters into Lisa’s ear and she whacks his arm gently.

 

“ _You’re_ a dork,” she tells him, and refocuses on Palmer.

 

“ _Anyway_ , Mayor Snart works tirelessly for the people of this city. She cares about every single person here in Central City, from the most disenfranchised to the most privileged. All of that is clear in her policies, her speeches, the laws she pushes forward, and the community service she partakes in. I am proud to announce my support of Mayor Lisa Snart for her reelection, and I hope that you will all join me, both with your time and with your money. Mayor?” Palmer gestures to Lisa, and she puts on her Mayor-smile and walks forward, to join Palmer at the front of the room.

 

“Thank you, Ray,” she says, shaking his hand. Then she turns to the crowd. “And thank you all for your support. It means the world to me. You all know my story by now, I’m sure, but if there’s anyone who doesn’t, I’ll give you a quick refresher. Lenny—that’s my brother, Leonard, right there—” she waves at Leonard who nods back, “and I come from a broken home. Our father was an alcoholic, and he was abusive. But we were able to get out from under his thumb because of the strong stance that the mayor at the time had on domestic abuse. She cracked down on it, and we were taken out of that home, rescued, and placed _together_ in foster care. We were able to have mostly normal lives.”

 

Lisa is great at giving speeches, Leonard thinks, even as he is slightly distracted by Palmer leaving her side and coming over to stand next to _him_.

 

“This all happened when I was very young, but my brother and our foster parents told me about what happened, when I was old enough to better understand it. Between then and now, laws changed, and the system that enabled us to escape was no longer in place, no longer as effective. When I got into Central City University and started becoming aware of the politics in this city, I realized that there was no way I would let this stand. I vowed to protect the people of this city, and that is what I have tried to do in my Mayorship so far, and that is what I intend to continue doing if I am reelected.”

 

The crowd applauds politely, but with vigor, and Leonard is just so _proud_ of his baby sister.

 

“Yes, there are Metahumans now. Yes, things are different now than they were when I was a child, than they were when I was a teenager. But my goal remains the same: to protect. To make sure that nobody is afraid to go home at night, that nobody lives in fear. That nobody feels ashamed of who they are, of how they were born, of who they love. I want to keep Central City kind, to keep it safe, and to make it a home for everyone who wants to make it theirs. Thank you.” Lisa smiles sweetly at the crowd and steps away from the microphone, to another round of applause.

 

“Your sister is one hell of a woman,” Palmer says to Leonard, as the clapping dies down.

 

“She sure is,” Leonard replies, his heart sinking. Lisa had said that Palmer had showed no indication of being romantically interested in her, but maybe she was wrong. Just because he didn’t leer at her or check her out doesn’t mean he’s not interested. It just means he’s not a douchebag.

 

“It must be hard for you,” Palmer continues, “being in her shadow.”

 

Leonard looks up at him, at that. “Not at all,” he says, shocked that Palmer would even consider something like that. “I do _not_ want the spotlight. Hell, being her brother is sometimes too much of a spotlight for me.”

 

“How so?” Palmer asks, looking actually curious. That’s probably what does it, what loosens his tongue, this gorgeous man looking at him with such curiosity. That, and the four glasses of wine Leonard has had.

 

“This party, for instance,” Leonard says. “I’d much rather be home with a glass of wine and a good book than here, socializing with people who don’t really want to get to know me.” Then he winces at the forwardness of his words. This is Palmer’s party after all, and Leonard said he didn’t want to be there.

 

Palmer grins at him, though, and Leonard relaxes slightly. “I can understand that,” he says. “That sounds cozy. And I don’t blame you for not wanting to socialize with most of the people here, even though you kind of have to, for Lisa. Although I, personally, love things like this. I _love_ schmoozing, as it were.” He grins, cheeky and wide, and Leonard finds himself smiling back without meaning to. “There _is_ some quiet space, if you’d like, on the deck. I could—”

 

“Brother, dear,” Lisa says, approaching the two of them, “come meet Dr. Wells—he’s considering supporting me in the campaign and I know how you’ve followed his work. Excuse us, Ray.” Ray waves goodbye as Lisa drags Leonard off.

 

“What did you do that for?” Leonard hisses at her.

 

She squeezes his arm. “We’re working, remember? This isn’t ‘flirt with the host’ time, this is ‘get your amazing, wonderful, fantastic sister whom you love money so she can run a campaign’ time.”

 

Leonard sighs, and plasters his happy, focusing face on as Lisa stops them in front of Dr. Harrison Wells.

 

“Mayor Snart, Mr. Snart, very nice to meet you both,” Wells says, extending a hand first to Lisa, then to Leonard.

 

“ _So_ nice to meet you as well, Dr. Wells,” Lisa replies. “I wanted to thank you for all the work you and S.T.A.R. Labs do for this city.”

 

He raises an eyebrow at her. “Even with the Metahuman…problem?”

 

Lisa’s expression doesn’t falter. Leonard’s not sure he can say the same, but at least Wells’ attention is focused on Lisa and not on him.

 

“Even so,” she says. “Your work these days makes it clear you are doing what you can to make up for whatever may have happened in the past. And, after all, all we can do is move forward, right? It would be great if time travel were possible,” she continues, with a laugh, “but we’re stuck going through time linearly, so what can we do but keep moving forward?”

 

Wells nods to her in acknowledgment. “Very true, Mayor Snart. An astute observation, and I appreciate your words.”

 

“Please,” she says, “call me Lisa. And, tell me, how is your daughter doing? Jesse, right?”

 

Leonard feels himself losing track of the conversation and knows he’s fast approaching his socialization limit.

 

“Yes,” Wells replies, “Jesse is doing wonderfully. She’s, ah, out of town at the moment, helping out some friends in another, uh, city.”

 

“Excuse me,” Leonard says quietly, “I just need to get some air.” Lisa nods at him, understanding.

 

Wells holds out his hand again. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Snart.”

 

“You too, Dr. Wells,” Leonard replies, and then makes his escape.

 

He’s definitely had too much wine. His head is spinning, and the room is getting too oppressive. He’s just not good at things like this. Lisa doesn’t like them either, but she, at least has learned to be good at them. Leonard can manage, up to a point. He’s hit that point, and even if he would have liked to stay and talk to the most brilliant man in Central City, he needs quiet for a few minutes to regain some sort of equilibrium.

 

He walks out onto the deck that Palmer had mentioned, just a few minutes ago, and breathes in the crisp night air. A few deep breaths in and he can already feel his head clearing slightly. That’s what he needed, the cool autumn evening air to even him out and get him steady again.

 

“I see you found the deck,” a voice calls from behind him, and Leonard whips around to find Palmer stepping outside. “Sorry,” he apologizes, “I didn’t mean to startle you!”

 

Leonard takes a deep breath, willing his heart to calm down. It doesn’t, but at least he gets himself under control enough to respond. “It’s okay. I just, uh, needed some space.”

 

Palmer nods. “Do you want me to leave you alone? You just looked a little overwhelmed, I wanted to see if you were okay. I mean, you mentioned wanting to be alone with a glass of wine and a book, so I guess actually I should probably give you some sp—”

 

“It’s okay,” Leonard says, a little too quickly, cutting the other man off. “You can stay, I don’t mind. It’s, uh, big crowds that get overwhelming.” He leans his left elbow on the railing as his head starts spinning again, although he thinks it’s for a slightly different reason this time.

 

“Gotcha,” Palmer says, grinning wide. He walks over to where Leonard is leaning against the railing and mirrors Leonard’s stance. “Are you having a good time, otherwise?”

 

Leonard shrugs. “Doesn’t really matter, I’m working, technically.”

 

“It does matter,” Palmer says, turning and bracing both his elbows on the railing behind him to look back through the glass door into the brightly lit house. Leonard looks at him, his face aglow with the soft light streaming out from inside. He’s beautiful: all chiseled jaw and big eyes, a light smile playing across his lips. His _very kissable_ lips and, wow, Leonard is way too queer for this. “It matters,” Palmer continues, “and not just because you’re the mayor’s brother. I want everyone who comes to my parties to have a good time.”

 

Leonard looks away, out into the darkness behind the house. “This is nice,” he finally admits. “Out here.”

 

Palmer turns back to him, his teeth flashing in a large grin. “Yeah?” he asks.

 

“Yeah,” Leonard says, swallowing hard, and focusing his attention on the one tree he can see in the yard.

 

Palmer hums in acknowledgment and then falls silent. The two of them stay there for a minute, in comfortable silence. There are moments, though, where Palmer seems to be on the verge of saying something, but he always shuts his mouth again, keeping quiet.

 

After he does this a few times Leonard wants to laugh. It’s _cute_ how Palmer seems to want to keep his mouth shut, maybe for Leonard’s benefit.

 

“You know, Dr. Palmer, you can talk. I don’t mind,” Leonard says finally, still staring out into the dark evening.

 

Palmer turns his head, looking directly at Leonard. “You can call me Ray,” he says softly, his lips curling up in a smile. “Dr. Palmer is for my patients and co-workers. Ray is for my friends.”

 

Leonard turns his head, at that. “Are we friends?” he asks, surprised.

 

Ray shrugs. “I’d like to be, if that’s okay with you.”

 

“Why?” Leonard can’t stop himself from asking, and Ray’s expression falls slightly. He corrects himself quickly, “No, I mean, why me? I’d, uh, I’d like to get to know you, but I just don’t—”

 

“We just seem to click,” Ray says, cutting him off. “I mean, is that just me? I felt a connection to you the second we met, but if you didn’t…”

 

“No, I did,” Leonard hurries to reassure the other man, “I definitely did.”

 

“Good,” Ray says, beaming at him.

 

Leonard can feel his heart pounding in his ears again, and he doesn’t think he can blame it on the wine this time.

 

“I should get back inside,” Ray says. “I am the host, after all. Are you coming?”

 

Leonard shakes his head. “I think I still need a minute. But I’ll see you in there?”

 

“See you in there,” Ray agrees with a smile, and walks inside. Leonard watches him leave, still slightly amazed that Ray Palmer wants to be _friends_ with him. He still thinks Ray is out of his league, but at least if they can be friends, Leonard can spend time enjoying Ray’s good looks and sweet smile. Not to mention that he seems like a genuinely great guy.

 

Even if Lisa still thinks he’s stuck up. Leonard is sure he’ll see it eventually, but he hasn’t noticed it yet. And even if Ray does turn out to be a bit arrogant, it’s not like he doesn’t deserve to be. Leonard’s more surprised that a man this talented and this _gorgeous_ is so kind, as well.

 

Leonard takes a few more deep breaths, and figures that his head is as clear as it’s going to get, so he heads back inside. He immediately finds Lisa, mingling with a few potential donors. He picks his way over to her, also noticing where Ray is in the room. Not that he’s getting obsessed, definitely not.

 

“Lenny!” Lisa greets him, and introduces him to the pile of people she’s talking to. Leonard is immediately overwhelmed again, but smiles and nods and shakes hands and tries to keep hold of the conversation. Lisa notices, and leans over to mutter in his ear, “Go, mingle,” before shooing him away.

 

He goes, wandering aimlessly and smiling at people. It’s a mystery to him how people just strike up conversation in a crowd. After a little while, he realizes his feet are carrying him in the direction of Ray. Well, he might as well let them.

 

Of course, Ray is deep in conversation with a similarly large group of people as the one Lisa was holding court in, so Leonard stops at the food display nearby, snagging a glass of water and a small plate of food. He stands at a tall table, munching on the bite-sized snacks and _trying_ not to stare at Ray.

 

He clearly fails, as he notes when Thea comes up to him with a sly grin. “He thinks you’re cute too,” she says, leaning forward to put her elbows on the table.

 

“What?” Leonard asks, trying to look confused. Thea isn’t buying it, and Leonard can immediately see that she and Lisa are going to get along like a house on fire. Just what he needs: two bright, blunt women in his life. Actually, he probably does need that. That sounds great.

 

“You and Ray,” she continues. “He’s been lonely ever since his former fiancée left him. Threw himself into his work, moved to Central City. It was a few years ago, but he’s had a hard time moving on. You seem like a good guy, got your head on straight.”

 

Leonard shrugs. “Look, I just think he’s attractive. I’m not really looking for anything.”

 

“I know,” Thea says, patting his arm. “But I can tell it’s more than just physical attraction. And I know you’re not after him for nefarious purposes, or anything. Well, and your sister told me a bit about you.”

 

“How did you already—you know what, I don’t want to know.” Of course Lisa has already told this cute stranger about his dating life, _awesome_.

 

“Ray’s gotten burned a few times, with people going after him for his money. He and Ollie—my brother, Oliver—are really close, so I’ve heard a lot about Ray’s dating life. I’m pretty sure you’re not a gold-digger,” she says, laughing.

 

Leonard shakes his head. “Nope, definitely not.”

 

“Didn’t think so,” Thea says, and nods over at Ray, who has broken away from his crowd and is walking over to Thea and Leonard. “Gotta go,” Thea says, and hurries off.

 

“You made it back inside,” Ray says, ignoring Thea’s quick escape as he approaches Leonard.

 

“I did,” Leonard says, unable to stop himself from smiling up at Ray.

 

“Were you waiting for me?” Ray asks, his own smile coy.

 

Leonard gulps. “N—no,” he stutters, and Ray laughs. It’s a lovely sound, and Leonard can feel himself wanting to sink into it.

 

“It’s okay, I don’t mind. Actually, it’s nice, knowing that you were waiting for me to finish talking to catch my attention.” He looks around, his eyes floating in the direction of the dance floor, filled with old people swaying to the music, arms around each other. Then he looks back at Leonard and holds out a hand. “Would you like to dance?”

 

Leonard would love nothing more, but he’s never been much of a dancer. “I, uh, I’m not sure I wouldn’t step on your feet,” he stammers.

 

“I can handle getting stepped on,” Ray says, still smiling wide, and it’s enough for Leonard to reach out, to place his own hand in Ray’s. “ _Awesome,_ ” Ray says, sounding more like a nerdy teenager than a world-renowned surgeon.

 

Ray leads him out to the dance floor, arranges one of Leonard’s hands to loop around his waist while he clasps the other one in his own. Then he brings his other hand to rest on Leonard’s upper back, and pulls their bodies close. They’re not quite pressed up against each other, but it already feels like the most intimate thing Leonard has done in a long while.

 

It’s not like he hasn’t had _options_ , it’s just that he’s been busy and distracted, and nobody has piqued his interest enough to want to take the time to get to know them. But, Ray. Ray is different, Leonard thinks, as they spin slowly around the floor, their cheeks a hair apart from touching.

 

“So,” Ray says, speaking softly into his ear, “Lisa tells me you have a masters in electrical engineering.”

 

Leonard rolls his eyes at his sister’s big mouth. “I do,” he confirms, and he _feels_ rather than sees Ray smile.

 

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but why are you working for your sister? You could be making your own way, instead of managing her schedule, getting her coffee, any of the usual secretarial things.”

 

Leonard shrugs, the motion causing his head to tilt slightly, his face brushing up against Ray’s for a split second, his skin left feeling raw and overly sensitive where he made contact. “I’ve always looked out for Lisa. When she wanted to run for mayor, I wanted to support her. I like what I do. I’m good at it. I don’t need any more, you know?”

 

“Hmm,” Ray replies, clearly turning Leonard’s words over in his head. “I can’t say that I do, but then again, I love the spotlight.” He laughs quietly, and Leonard feels himself smiling in return. “It’s just obvious that you’re brilliant on your own, and I hope you’re not feeling stifled in your sister’s shadow.”

 

“I’m not,” Leonard replies honestly. “I’m glad to buoy her up, keep her afloat. I get to help people this way, too. Not directly—but by supporting Lisa, I’m supporting all the people she helps, too. And I like that. I couldn’t do that as an electrical engineer.”

 

“I suppose you’re right, and I like the sound of that,” Ray says, as he moves his hand slowly down Leonard’s back to rest on his waist. Leonard feels a line of heat, following the movement of Ray’s hand, and he swallows hard. “Is this okay?” Ray asks, picking up on Leonard’s reaction.

 

“Yeah,” Leonard breathes, his voice only shaking a little bit.

 

“Good,” Ray says, and pulls them even closer together. Now they’re pressed against each other, in the middle of the dance floor, in the middle of a bunch of old couples, in the middle of Ray’s house. Leonard can hardly believe this is happening to him. He feels himself start to over-think, and he takes a deep breath, letting his mind focus only on the sensations of Ray’s (hard, muscled) body, Ray’s (large, warm) hands, Ray’s steady rhythm, swaying and spinning them around the dance floor.

 

They dance for that song and another before Ray pulls back, and Leonard immediately mourns the loss. Ray doesn’t go far, though, just leads Leonard over to one of the tall tables and pulls out his phone.

 

“Here,” he says, entering the password to unlock it and opening up the phone app before holding it out to Leonard. “Put your number in. I’ve been neglecting the rest of my guests, but I’m not about to let you get away without some way to contact you directly.”

 

Leonard stares at him for a second, letting the words sink in. Then he reaches out for the phone, fumbling with it for a second, before pressing his number into it. He double-checks to make sure the number is correct, and then hands it back. “Here you go.”

 

Ray takes it and presses the call button. Leonard immediately feels his phone buzzing in his pocket.

 

“There,” Ray says, beaming. “Now you have my number, too!” He saves Leonard as a contact as Leonard pulls his phone out to do the same. “Now, I should get back to my other guests, but would you like to get dinner with me tomorrow night?”

 

Leonard’s heart swoops in his chest. He’s about to say yes when he remembers Lisa has a state dinner that he agreed to be her plus-one to. “I can’t do tomorrow night,” he says reluctantly.

 

“The night after, then?” Ray asks, eagerly. Leonard mentally checks his schedule and finds no conflicts so he nods, basking in the glow of Ray’s answering smile. “I’ll text you,” Ray says, and leans forward, pressing a quick kiss to Leonard’s cheek. Then he spins and walks off into the crowd, greeting people as he goes.

 

Leonard can’t move for a few seconds, except to put a hand up to his cheek where Ray had kissed him. Then he remembers where he is, that he’s around a large number of people, and he moves, escaping back out to the deck.

 

Lisa finds him out there, a little while later. “Things are winding down, Lenny, we can leave now.”

 

He turns around to face her, and sees that she is grinning wide. “Someone had a good night,” he says, and she beams back. “Sorry I ditched you halfway through.” He feels a bit guilty about it, but Lisa shakes her head at him.

 

“Don’t worry, Thea took up the job. She’s very capable, very smart, and very fun.” Lisa looks wistful, and Leonard can relate.

 

“Did you get her number?” Leonard asks, and Lisa nods. He’s glad for her—he liked Thea from the little he spoke to her.

 

“How about you and Ray?” she asks, her eyes glinting in the dim lights. Leonard grins, and Lisa lets out a tiny squeal. “You got his number?”

 

“And a date,” Leonard confirms. “In two nights.”

 

Lisa reaches forward and hugs him. “I’m happy for you, Lenny. Ray’s great, I hope things work out.”

 

“Me too,” he says into her hair. “I hope things work out with you and Thea.”

 

She pulls back and shrugs. “She’s only in town for a few months, until she’s satisfied her club can run without her. So, we’ll see. At the very least, I’ll probably get a few dates out of it.”

 

“That’s something!” Leonard tells her, and she hums in agreement.

 

“Okay, Lenny, let’s get out of here. I’m sure Ray and Thea will want to start clean-up.”

 

Lisa drags him inside and over to Ray and Thea who are, indeed, discussing wrapping up the party.

 

“Ray,” Lisa says, “thank you so much again for hosting this. My brother and I had a lovely evening, and we appreciate your support, as always.”

 

“Of course, Lisa, Leonard,” Ray says, shaking Lisa’s hand happily, before turning to face Leonard. Leonard sees Lisa turn to Thea, but he can only focus on Ray’s words. “I’m glad you were able to enjoy yourselves,” Ray continues, looking straight into Leonard’s eyes. Leonard swallows, and manages to work up a smile, even though his heart is pounding in his throat. Damn, he’s got it bad.

 

Ray seems to catch on, because he gets a wicked glint in his eyes and leans forward to once again press a light kiss to Leonard’s cheek.

 

“Have a good rest of your evening,” he says, his lips still a hair away from Leonard’s cheek. Then he pulls back, grinning widely at the Snart siblings.

 

Lisa has to drag Leonard away.

 

* * *

 

Leonard’s phone buzzes softly with a text as he’s driving himself and Lisa home. He pulls it out of his pocket as they hit a red light and hands it to his sister.

 

“Who’s texting me?” he asks, and she swipes open his phone and checks.

 

“Ooh,” she crows, “it’s _Ray_.”

 

“Really?” Leonard asks. “We just left, what is he saying?”

 

Lisa cackles. “He wants you to text him when you get home safe! That’s so _cute_.”

 

“Shut up,” Leonard tells her, but can’t stop the smile tugging up the corners of his mouth.

 

“Come on, Lenny, it’s cute.”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” he says, turning down their street. They’re quiet until Leonard turns into their driveway and parks, and then he buries his face in his hands. “I’ve got it bad,” he admits, his voice muffled against the press of his palms.

 

Lisa squeals. “I knew you two would hit it off!” she tells him, and Leonard peeks over at her through his fingers.

 

“You did?”

 

Lisa nods emphatically. “I had a hunch,” she tells him.

 

Leonard groans, unbuckling his seatbelt and stealing his phone back from his sister. They head into the house, Lisa snickering at him the whole way, while he checks his phone to make sure she was telling him the truth about the text. She was.

 

 **_Ray Palmer_ ** _: Had a great time meeting you tonight! Text me when you get home safe :)_

 

Leonard types out a quick response, ignoring Lisa bugging him to know what he’s saying back.

 

_Just got home, safe and sound._

 

He pauses, thinking about what to type next, while Lisa peers over his shoulder.

 

“Tell him you think he’s sexy,” she suggests, with a wicked grin. He whacks her arm lightly, and she laughs, breezing away upstairs to her room. “Send him something suggestive,” she calls behind her when she’s far enough away from Leonard that he won’t smack her in jest.

 

“That’s very helpful, Lis’, thanks,” Leonard calls after her, sarcastically. Her laugh echoes down through the house.

 

He makes his way to the kitchen for a glass of water, and perches on a stool at the counter, his phone in front of him.

 

_Just got home, safe and sound. Thanks for a lovely party._

 

No, that’s dorky.

 

_Just got home, safe and sound. I had a great time meeting you too, and I’m looking forward to our date_

 

God, could he sound _more_ eager? He doesn’t even know if “dinner” technically even means that it’s going to be a date; maybe Ray just wants to talk campaign strategy. It’s been too long, though, and he needs to send _something_ , so he just erases the last bit and sends it.

 

_Just got home, safe and sound. I had a great time meeting you, too. :)_

 

There. He breathes a sigh of relief as he chugs the rest of his glass of water—he does not need a hangover tomorrow—and then heads up to bed.

 

Leonard expects that to be the end of it for tonight, but his phone buzzes again as he’s finishing changing into his pajamas.

 

 **_Ray Palmer_ ** _: I can’t wait for our date! I should let you go to sleep, though. Hope you have sweet dreams. I think you’ll probably feature quite a bit in mine tonight ;)_

 

What…the fuck? Leonard rushes out of his room, heading to Lisa’s door and knocking loudly. “Lisa!”

 

“What?!” she calls back, sounding annoyed. He takes this to mean he can come in, and he barges in, holding out his phone.

 

“Is this a sext?!” he asks, shoving his phone in her face.

 

“ _Lenny,_ ” Lisa says, but she takes the phone and reads the text. As soon as she finishes reading it, she cracks up. “That’s definitely a sext, oh my god!” She keeps laughing, and Leonard runs his hands down his face.

 

“What do I _do?_ ” he asks, pleading. He is not good at things like this, and he feels like he’s probably going to just make a fool of himself. Ray is so _suave_ and Leonard is just a mess.

 

“Lenny, I’m not gonna tell you how to sext your new boy back,” she responds, still laughing at him. “You’re a grown-ass man, figure it out.”

 

“L _isa_ ,” he whines, and she sighs.

 

“Fine.” She thinks for a minute, and then her lips curl up into an evil grin, and Leonard regrets having asked for her help even before the words leave her mouth. “Tell him you have a _heart_ on for him,” she replies, her eyes glinting.

 

Leonard groans. “I hate you. That’s terrible. That’s an awful pun, why am I related to you?” He snags his phone back and stalks out of the room.

 

“You asked for my help,” Lisa calls after him, “and we already know he _loves_ heart puns!”

 

“I regret ever asking you for anything!” he calls to her over his shoulder, walking back to his room.

 

Of course, now he does have to figure out what to say back. He figures a blushing emoji might be a little too on the nose, but it’s probably the most accurate without making a fool of himself.

 

 _Really?_ he types. _I’m flattered. You might feature in mine, too, especially since I can’t get the feeling of your lips on my skin out of my head._

 

No.

 

He erases all of it and tries again.

 

 _Looking forward to our date as well. With the way you held me when we were dancing tonight, I’m sure you’ll be in my dreams as well_.

 

Is that too ridiculous? He’s not sure anymore. Shaking his head, he presses send before he can over-think it any more. He _immediately_ regrets it, but it’s too late. It’s sent. He throws himself down on his bed, staring at his phone as if he can will the text to un-send with the power of his mind.

 

He fails, obviously.

 

He’s about to plug his phone in on his bedside table and go to sleep when it buzzes again.

 

 **_Ray Palmer_ ** _: I’m glad to hear that! Can’t wait to get my arms around you again <3 Goodnight, Leonard. Sweet dreams._

 

Leonard is _fucked_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Lenny, pay attention,” Lisa snaps, when he asks her to repeat something for the third time.
> 
> “Sorry, Lis’,” he says, sheepish. Lisa rolls her eyes at him.
> 
> “Look, I know you’re, like, already head-over-heels for Ray, but I need your mind here right now, and not on his ass,” she tells him, but she winks at him to let him know she’s half-kidding.
> 
> Of course, she’s also half serious, and Leonard reluctantly pulls his mind away from Ray, stops checking his phone, and throws himself back into their work. They’ve got a busy day, especially if they’re going to get everything done before they have to leave the office to get ready for the state dinner tonight.

The next day passes in a blur. Leonard wakes up to a good morning text from Ray, but hears nothing after that. He assumes Ray is in surgery all day, so he tries to focus on his work. He fails, miserably.

 

“Lenny, pay attention,” Lisa snaps, when he asks her to repeat something for the third time.

 

“Sorry, Lis’,” he says, sheepish. Lisa rolls her eyes at him.

 

“Look, I know you’re, like, already head-over-heels for Ray, but I need your mind here right now, and not on his ass,” she tells him, but she winks at him to let him know she’s half-kidding.

 

Of course, she’s also half serious, and Leonard reluctantly pulls his mind away from Ray, stops checking his phone, and throws himself back into their work. They’ve got a busy day, especially if they’re going to get everything done before they have to leave the office to get ready for the state dinner tonight.

 

It doesn’t help that he’s exhausted on top of being distracted. Going to sleep the night before had been rough; he’d lain awake for at least an hour, going over the events of the evening in his mind. He replayed the dance over and over, recalling the feeling of Ray’s hands on him, of Ray pressing their bodies together. _God_ , Ray had smelled so good—all expensive, tasteful cologne and crisp, clean shampoo. Leonard had never felt like more of a mess, but Ray hadn’t seemed to mind, or even notice.

 

So it had been hard to clear his mind, to drift off into sleep. It’s been a while since he’s been with anyone, but he knows that’s not the only reason he’d slipped his hand under his waistband, stroking himself slowly to completion. He knows it’s because Ray affects him in a way that he can’t remember anyone else ever doing. Especially not after only a few short hours and dancing through a couple of songs. Not to mention _two_ cheek kisses. Well, it doesn’t help that Leonard now knows how soft Ray’s lips are when pressed up against his skin…

 

And it doesn’t help Leonard’s crush that Ray has a body to make even Greek Gods jealous; Leonard is torn between wishing that he has the time and motivation to hit the gym a little bit more, and being overwhelmed at Ray’s glorious muscles. _Everything_ about Ray seems to be chiseled, and Leonard thinks he might be drooling, thinking about the other man as he changes into his suit for the evening.

 

He and Lisa are being driven tonight, since it’s an even fancier affair than the night before, so Leonard is able to check his phone in the car ride over, even though Lisa made him put it on silent before they left.

 

“Lenny, I’m happy you and Ray are going on a date, but I need you to not moon over him for, like, a few hours, okay?” she says as he clicks on his phone.

 

“Oh, he texted me,” Leonard murmurs, ignoring his sister. He sees her roll her eyes in his periphery, but he continues to ignore her as he reads Ray’s texts.

 

**_Ray Palmer:_ ** _Sorry I’ve been radio silent all day, I’ve been working._

 

Leonard was right, good.

 

**_Ray Palmer_ ** _: I’ve been thinking about you though, and about our date. I’ve got a few restaurants in mind, but I thought I’d give you the final pick. How do you feel about either sushi, French, or Korean BBQ?_

 

“I’d pick Korean,” Lisa says, peering over his shoulder.

 

“Yes, thank you, Lisa, your input is appreciated,” Leonard replies, sarcastically. But, she’s right, he’d pick that one, too.

 

_Korean BBQ sounds good._

 

He’s about to send it but Lisa stops him. “Really, that’s all you’re gonna say? Lenny, you’re bad at flirting.”

 

“Tell me something I don’t know,” he says, but doesn’t hit send. “What else should I say?”

 

“That you’ve been thinking about him too, that your sister is going to murder you if you keep checking your phone every two seconds, that you can’t wait to get your hands on him again, I don’t know, do whatever you want.”

 

_Korean BBQ sounds good. I’ve been thinking about you too—Lisa’s getting annoyed at me for checking my phone so much. I’ve gotta go, we’re almost at the state dinner, but I’ll text you when I get out._

 

“There,” Leonard says, “how’s that?”

 

“Good enough,” Lisa replies, and Leonard hits send.

 

He checks his phone one last time before they pull up to the function hall, and he sees that Ray has responded.

 

**_Ray Palmer:_ ** _I’m looking forward to it! Have a good dinner, talk to you after :) Tonight I’M curling up with a good book and a glass of wine, wishing you were here to cuddle with me while I do._

 

Leonard swallows hard, and he’s sure that his face has turned bright red.

 

“What?!” Lisa asks, and grabs his phone. “Oh my _god_ , that’s adorable,” she coos.

 

“Shut up,” Leonard says, trying to stop blushing.

 

“Never,” Lisa says, as they pull up to the front door. “Okay, out, out, let’s do this.”

 

They climb out and the socialization begins. At least tonight it’s more directed, and he only has to deal with crowds on the way to the table they’ve been assigned. Then it’s just small groups of people approaching them in between speeches and courses, and he can manage that. Still, his mind keeps floating off to Ray, to the quiet solace of the deck of Ray’s mansion, to the way Ray’s face had looked in the streams of light…

 

Finally, the dinner is over, and Leonard and Lisa climb back into the car to be driven home. Leonard pulls out his phone to find a stream of texts.

 

**_Ray Palmer:_ ** _Hope the dinner is going well!_

**_Ray Palmer_ ** _: I know you won’t see this until you get out, but how does 7pm tomorrow work?_

**_Ray Palmer_ ** _: Okay, I made a reservation for tomorrow night at 7pm at my favorite Korean BBQ place, let me know if that doesn’t work._

**_Ray Palmer_ ** _: [Picture of a glass of red wine and a book, propped open with long, slender fingers] Still wishing you were here. This is nice, but it would be nicer with you._

 

Leonard buries his face in his hands, letting his phone fall to his lap. Lisa picks it up and reads the texts.

 

“Is he reading _Fellowship of the Ring_?” she asks, and Leonard peers between his fingers to look at the picture.

 

“Yup,” he says, picking out familiar phrases on the well-worn pages, and groans.

 

“You’re even more perfect for each other than I’d thought,” Lisa says, snickering. “He’s a nerd, too.”

 

“Shut up,” Leonard tells her, but she just shakes her head and drops his phone back into his lap. Reluctantly, he picks it up, and starts typing out a response.

 

_7pm tomorrow night works perfectly. Should I meet you there? Your night looks cozy, good book choice! I’m due for a LOTR extended movie marathon at some point soon -_

 

“Keep going,” Lisa says, reading over his shoulder. Leonard tries to shoo her away but she doesn’t budge, so he just continues typing.

 

_7pm tomorrow night works perfectly. Should I meet you there? Your night looks cozy, good book choice! I’m due for a LOTR extended movie marathon at some point soon - maybe that could be our next date? We can cuddle on the couch for that…_

 

He presses send before he can change his mind, and he’s surprised that he doesn’t regret it. Maybe he’s getting better at this whole not-freaking-out thing? Ray takes a while to text back, though, and as he and Lisa are dropped back off at their house, he starts to panic.

 

“Lenny, calm down, he probably just fell asleep,” she tells him, firm but not unkind.

 

Leonard sighs. “You’re probably right.”

 

It’s only after Leonard has brushed his teeth and gotten into bed that Ray texts him back.

 

**_Ray Palmer_ ** _: I can pick you up at 6:30 at your place? LOTR marathon sounds perfect, it’s a DATE for sure! I’m off to sleep, see you tomorrow!! Sweet dreams, Leonard._

 

_Sounds good to me. See you tomorrow, Ray. Sleep well._

 

Leonard puts his phone down with a smile. He’s got a hot date tomorrow, and he’s not sure he’s ever been this excited—or this nervous—for a date.

 

* * *

 

“Stop fidgeting,” Lisa mutters the next night at 6:25, as they sit on the couch together, reading. Well, Lisa is doing paperwork, and Leonard is attempting to read a space opera on his e-reader.

 

“Sorry,” Leonard says, and tries to stop twitching. The minutes tick by as he stares at the same page of his book, not comprehending a word. He’s dressed somewhat casually—in dark gray jeans and a navy blue thick-knit sweater over a light blue button-down—because Ray told him it was a relatively low-key place. Still, he wanted to look nice, and he will absolutely admit that Lisa may have had a hand in picking out his outfit.

 

“You look good in blue,” she had told him, and he had to admit she was right. “It brings out your eyes,” she told him, as he was adjusting his clear-frame glasses in the mirror.

 

Which brings them to here, sitting on the couch, as the time ticks past 6:30 and nears 6:35. Leonard starts to worry, just as the doorbell rings.

 

“ _Finally_ ,” he hears Lisa mutter as he jumps up and tries really hard not to run to the door. He manages a brisk walk, and throws the door open to Ray standing on his doorstep, beaming and holding out a single, red rose.

 

Leonard’s jaw drops as he takes in the sight of Ray, dressed again in maroon and looking _gorgeous_ , the flower held gently between his fingers.

 

“Hi,” Ray says, after a few seconds of silence while Leonard tries to remember how to speak.

 

Lisa comes up to rescue Leonard. “Hel _lo_ , Ray, won’t you come in?” she asks. “You’ll have to forgive my brother, he’s a _moron_.”

 

Leonard finds his voice. “ _Thank you so much, Lis’_ ,” he replies, his voice dripping with as much sarcasm as he can muster. “And yes, Ray, please come in. You look, uh,” he looks up at Ray, feeling his face heating up, “fantastic.”

 

“So do you,” Ray replies, and leans forward to press a kiss to Leonard’s cheek. Leonard’s brain short-circuits, again. “This is for you,” Ray continues, holding out the rose.

 

Leonard opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out.

 

Lisa steps in again. “Let me put that in water for you, Lenny.” She plucks the rose from Ray’s grasp and walks off, into the kitchen, giving Leonard and Ray some space.

 

“Are you okay?” Ray asks, looking concerned.

 

“Oh, uh, yeah,” Leonard responds, swallowing hard. “Sorry, I’m just, uh…” He trails off, unsure of where he’s going, unsure of what to say besides _wow you’re hot and I’m really into you_.

 

Ray grins and steps forward, cupping Leonard’s cheek in his hand. “I’m a little nervous, too,” he admits, his voice quiet. “I think we should just get this out of the way first, if that’s okay with you?”

 

Leonard’s about to ask what he means when Ray leans forward, pressing their lips gently and quickly together. Leonard feels his eyes flutter shut of their own accord, and then he’s reaching up, wrapping his arms around Ray’s neck, and pulling the other man back in to deepen the kiss.

 

Immediately, Ray opens to him, kissing him back with just as much vigor and passion as Leonard is giving. Their tongues slide together, and Leonard feels himself moaning softly. Ray’s hands come up to clutch at Leonard’s hips, crushing their bodies together, his fingertips digging into Leonard’s skin.

 

“Oh, god, _really_?” Lisa asks in a groan, as she walks back into the room. “I leave for _two seconds_ …”

 

Leonard pulls back immediately, his sister’s voice like a bucket of ice water poured over his head. He realizes that his fingers are tangled in Ray’s hair, messing up the clean styling that it had when Ray had first walked in.

 

Ray steps back, clearing his throat and running his fingers through his hair so it lies flat again. “Sorry, Lisa,” he says, looking sheepish.

 

Leonard echoes the apology, but Lisa just shakes her head at the two of them.

 

“It’s fine, you two are cute. I just really don’t need to hear my brother moaning, thanks.” She steps forward, shooing them out the door. “Go, get dinner. Have fun. Make out somewhere that isn’t in front of me.”

 

Ray slips his hand into Leonard’s. “Ready?” he asks.

 

Leonard nods, and lets Ray lead him out of the house and into the car, sad that he has to take his hand back out of Ray’s so soon. The contact had sent tingles up his arm, and he notices the lack of it immediately. 

 

“So, uh,” Leonard starts, as he gets into Ray’s car, “that was…”

 

“Something?” Ray finishes, laughing.

 

“Yeah,” Leonard agrees, feeling warm all over.

 

Ray grins and leans over in his seat to press a quick kiss to the corner of Leonard’s mouth. “I’ve been wanting to do that since I first saw you,” he admits, his face slightly flushed.

 

“You have?” Leonard asks, unable to recall if he’s ever been more flustered.

 

“I have,” Ray says, with a wide, cheeky grin as he puts the car into drive and turns out of Leonard’s driveway. “You may not have noticed, but I had _ulterior motives_ for asking you to dance the other night.”

 

Leonard gulps. “What kind of motives?” he asks, guessing at the answer but wanting to hear the other man say it.

 

Ray glances at Leonard out of the corner of his eye quickly, before turning his attention back to the road. “I wanted to touch you,” he says. “I wanted to see if our chemistry extended past our handshake and the quiet moment we had outside on my deck.”

 

“And?” Leonard asks, staring at Ray.

 

“You tell me,” Ray responds, and Leonard can see him grin in the dim twilight. “You kissed me back, after all.”

 

“I did.” He sure did, and he’d love to do it again, right now, but he’s _starving_. Dinner is definitely a necessity, and then, after, they can see what happens.

 

They pull into the restaurant, and focus on getting seated and ordering dinner. Once that’s settled, they fall into conversation. It’s easy, talking to Ray, Leonard notes, as they chat about their days, their weeks, their lives. Dinner is delicious, and Ray keeps finding excuses to touch Leonard. He bumps their knees together (god, are his legs _long_ , Leonard thinks), brushes his hands against Leonard’s at every opportunity. He even, at one point, runs the tip of his shoe up Leonard’s calf. Leonard shivers at that one, and Ray’s answering smirk causes his heart to skip a few beats.

 

By the end of dinner, Leonard is so overstimulated, he feels like he might explode if Ray touches him again. But, of course, Ray does, wrapping an arm around Leonard’s shoulders as they leave the restaurant. (Ray had paid, even though Leonard tried to convince him to split the bill.) Leonard manages to just grasp lightly at Ray’s waist, but he leans his entire body into Ray.

 

“Mmm, hi,” Ray says as Leonard snuggles into his side on the walk to the car. He turns his head to press a light kiss against Leonard’s temple, catching the edge of it on Leonard’s glasses.

 

That’s Leonard’s breaking point, and he stops dead, turning in Ray’s grasp so they’re face to face, chests pressing up against each other. Ray’s eyes go wide, more in anticipation than surprise, as Leonard slides his hands up Ray’s sides and clutches at the backs of Ray’s shoulders.

 

Leonard knows his own breathing is ragged, and he can feel Ray’s breath catch and hitch, but he doesn’t lean in for a kiss just yet. He inches his body forward, presses every centimeter of himself against Ray, as close as he can get. Then he rests his forehead against Ray’s, bumping their noses together.

 

“ _Fuck_ , Leonard,” Ray breathes, “do you know what you’re doing to me?”

 

Leonard grins, inordinately proud of himself for having such an effect on this unbelievably sexy man. Tonight is definitely a big confidence booster. “Only what you’ve been doing to me this whole evening,” he replies, his voice soft.

 

Ray moans, needy and heated, the sound echoing through the empty parking lot, and then he crashes his lips against Leonard’s. It’s messy, their teeth clicking together at first as they work together to find a rhythm—hands grasping at each other, reaching under shirt hems and tangling in hair and gripping and groping—as they make out, hot and heavy, in the middle of the goddamn parking lot.

 

“We should,” Ray gasps between kisses, “go to my place.”

 

Leonard hums. Ray has a point, but then again, they’d have to stop kissing to get to Ray’s place. So he doesn’t pull back, just slips his hands down, grasping at Ray’s ass. Ray whimpers as their crotches grind together, and Leonard can feel Ray hard against him. Leonard is hard, too, which is another reason he doesn’t want to step back from Ray—the friction he’s getting from Ray bucking forward as Leonard squeezes his ass is _fantastic_.

 

But Ray pushes him away after a few more seconds and stumbles back, his chest heaving. “Okay,” Ray pants, holding out a hand to keep Leonard from coming any closer. “If I don’t get you back to my place, I’m gonna tear your clothes off right here in the middle of this parking lot, and I hate to think of what a public indecency scandal would do to my career, or to your sister’s, if someone were to see us.”

 

“Fair enough,” Leonard gasps out, and the two of them head back to Ray’s car, keeping a safe distance apart from each other.

 

Once they’re seated and settled, Ray holds a hand out again, pushing lightly against Leonard’s chest, even though Leonard hadn’t made any move forward. “I need a sec, Leonard,” he says, still breathing hard. Leonard grins, still amazed that he’s having this impact on Ray.

 

“You alright there, Ray?” he asks, with a cheeky grin.

 

Ray turns to glare at him, but there’s no heat behind it. Well, it’s more that it’s a different _kind_ of heat, and Leonard can see Ray’s eyes moving along the lines of his face, lingering on the curve of his lips. Then Ray snaps his eyes back forward, staring out the front windshield.

 

“Goddamnit, Leonard,” he says, “you’re _killing me_.”

 

“Is that a good thing?” Leonard teases, unable to stop smiling.

 

“Yes, _fuck_ ,” Ray responds, gripping the steering wheel tight and breathing deeply for about a minute. “Okay, I think I’ve calmed down enough to drive,” he finally says.

 

Leonard laughs, the sound echoing through the car. He’s never felt quite so good, and Ray turns to him and grins.

 

“God,” Ray says, as he tears his eyes away and backs out of the parking space, “you’ve got an amazing laugh.”

 

“Thanks,” Leonard replies, blushing, his eyes permanently stuck on Ray. The other man may have to concentrate on driving, but Leonard doesn’t, and he takes the opportunity to stare at Ray as much as he wants.

 

The drive to Ray’s house is thankfully short, but Ray groans as they pull into the driveway. “Thea’s here,” he explains.

 

“Was she not supposed to be?” Leonard asks.

 

Ray shakes his head as they get out of the car. “She was supposed to be at Verdant until late tonight. I guess she called it an early night, damn.”

 

“Does this change anything?” Leonard asks. Ray takes his hand, threading their fingers together.

 

“No,” Ray replies, lifting Leonard’s hand to his lips, kissing it quickly. Leonard feels sparks running up his arm, situating themselves comfortably in his quickly beating heart. “The room she’s staying in is on the opposite side of the house.”

 

“Good.”

 

They walk in the door and see Thea lounging in the living room, a mug and blueprints in front of her.

 

“Oh, hey,” she says, “I didn’t expect you—” She turns fully and catches sight of Leonard, who blushes. “Oh, shit, was tonight the big date? Things were too loud over at Verdant, I needed some quiet to figure out a zoning issue so I just came back here. I can head back out if you guys want…”

 

Ray shakes his head. “No, it should be fine. Just, uh, maybe stay away from my room?”

 

Thea rolls her eyes, but nods. “Go, get out of here. Have fun, boys.”

 

Ray looks positively gleeful as he drags Leonard up the stairs and across the huge house into what must be his room. When Ray opens the door and pulls Leonard inside, Leonard stops, overwhelmed. The room is giant and sprawling, containing a positively massive bed with canopy posts. The walls are lined with bookshelves, all chock full of books ranging from old, dusty tomes to what Leonard can make out as new science fiction and fantasy—he recognizes a few of the spines of the newer books, and knows they were published within the last few years.

 

“Wow,” he says, turning slowly to take it all in. “I mean, I have a nice house, but this is…”

 

Ray laughs, coming up behind him to drape over Leonard’s back. His chin perches on Leonard’s shoulder as his arms wrap around Leonard’s waist. “You like it?” he asks, his cheek rubbing up against Leonard’s.

 

“You’ve got a _great_ library,” Leonard says, resting his hands over Ray’s forearms and rubbing small circles against them with his thumbs. God, even Ray’s forearms are chiseled. 

 

“Oh, this isn’t my library,” Ray tells him. “I have a whole library downstairs. These are just my personal favorites.”

 

Leonard forgets why they’re there for a minute and walks forward, pulling out of Ray’s grasp, to run his fingers along the spines. “ _The Goblin Emperor, Three Parts Dead, The Fifth Season, Shadowshaper, Too Like the Lightning, A Darker Shade of Magic, Radiance…”_ he mutters, reading the spines of some of his own personal favorites as Ray watches him from the center of the room.

 

Ray clears his throat, and Leonard spins around to look at him. “Not to interrupt,” Ray says, his eyes glinting, “but I’m getting a little jealous of my own book collection, since they’re getting all of your attention instead of _me_.”

 

“Sorry,” Leonard apologizes, blushing. But Ray is grinning, and Leonard can tell he’s not really upset.

 

Which he confirms as he walks forward. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s _very cute_. I’m glad we have the same taste in books,” he continues, as he steps in front of Leonard and reaches his hands up to cup Leonard’s face. “But you’ll have time to look at them later. I want you _now_ ,” he says, and leans in to kiss Leonard.

 

It starts off slow and tender this time, Ray kissing him tenderly, with precision, and Leonard loses himself in it. Ray backs him slowly up against the bookcases, and Leonard can feel the shelves at regular intervals at his back, but it’s something to brace against as the kiss deepens, so he doesn’t mind.

 

“Take this off,” Ray says, tapping at Leonard’s sweater. Leonard complies, pulling it off and tossing it to the side. His glasses get caught in the neck, so he takes them off, too, folding them and placing them on the bookshelf behind him. Ray leans his torso back and throws off his sweater as well. Their hips are still pressed close and the fluid motion rolls them together, making Leonard moan at the friction. “Mmm, that’s a nice sound,” Ray murmurs as he leans over to kiss down the side of Leonard’s neck, his fingers working at the buttons of Leonard’s shirt.

 

Leonard throws his neck back to allow for better access as Ray pushes his shirt off his shoulders and onto the floor.

 

“Sorry I’m not, uh,” Leonard pants as Ray kisses down his chest, “as chiseled as you.”

 

Ray stops, standing up straight and wrapping his long, gorgeous fingers around Leonard’s chin. “Why are you apologizing for that, sweetheart?” he asks, sounding slightly worried.

 

Leonard shrugs, already regretting letting the words pass his lips. He just wants to go back to Ray’s mouth on his body. But Ray is looking at him concern in those large brown eyes, and Leonard can’t say no to that expression.

 

“I mean I’m just…I’m kind of, uh, squishy?” he says, turning it into a question. “And you’re, you know,” he gestures to Ray’s half-open shirt, “all muscle.”

 

Ray leans forward and presses their foreheads together, moving his hands down to rest lightly on Leonard’s hips. “And you thought I, what, wouldn’t like that?” Leonard shrugs again, wishing he could just take his goddamn stupid words back. “Leonard, I _know_ I’m built. That doesn’t mean I expect, or even _want_ my partners to also be. I _like_ that you’re softer, I like that you’re a little squishy, okay?”

 

“Okay?” Leonard responds, slowly letting the words sink in. Ray _likes_ that he hasn’t been to the gym in _years_? Ray likes that he’s got a bit of a belly, that he’s not super skinny or muscled?

 

“Say it like you mean it, Leonard,” Ray says, his voice taking on a commanding note.

 

“Okay.” Leonard swallows, watching as Ray’s expression turns from concerned to seductive.

 

“Good boy,” Ray says, and drops down to his knees.

 

“Oh, _fuck_ ,” Leonard says, reaching up to grab at the shelves above his head to brace himself as Ray presses kisses down his torso and fiddles with his belt.

 

Ray sucks and bites gently at the soft skin of his stomach, and Leonard moans loudly, already overwhelmed by the sensations, and Ray hasn't even finished getting his pants off yet. That's remedied pretty quickly though, as Ray unbuttons his jeans and drags them down, pulling his underwear along with them, Ray’s mouth still working its way down his stomach.

 

“ _God_ , Ray,” Leonard groans, and Ray grins up at him.

 

“You like this?” he asks, cheeky and confident.

 

Leonard's only response is to let out another moan as Ray wraps a hand around his cock.

 

“I'll take that as a yes,” Ray mutters, and puts his mouth on Leonard's cock, sliding slowly down around it. His tongue swirls lazily around the tip and Leonard swears he can see stars.

 

Leonard takes one hand off the bookcase and threads it through Ray's hair as Ray moves up and down, building up a steady rhythm. He's vaguely aware that he's making a lot of moderately loud noises, but he's not sure he cares.

 

“God, you're gorgeous like that,” he hears himself saying, looking down at Ray sucking him off.

 

Ray pulls off Leonard's cock with an absolutely _filthy_ noise and grins, his lips swollen and wet. “On my knees with my mouth on your cock?” he asks, his grin turning into a smirk.

 

“Ngh, yes,” Leonard responds thickly. “It's uh,” he clears his throat. “It's been a while for me—I'm not gonna last long if you keep that up.”

 

Ray stands at that, and takes Leonard's hands, pulling him over to the giant bed. “I'm not gonna last long either,” he admits, pushing Leonard down onto the bed. “Not with you looking like _that_ and making those _noises_.” Leonard bounces slightly as he falls onto the bed. He crawls backwards until he's not at the edge and watches Ray strip.

 

It's a beautiful sight, and Leonard takes in Ray's broad chest, his slender waist, his thick thighs. “Is there any part of you that isn't all muscle?” Leonard asks, his voice soft and slightly wrecked.

 

Ray just grins at him and climbs into bed after him, clambering on top of him. “No,” he says with a smirk, laying his body down over Leonard, slipping one leg in between Leonard's legs. He leans back in for a kiss, bracing himself up on his arms as they thrust lazily against each other for a minute.

 

“What do you want?” Ray asks, panting, pressing sloppy kisses against Leonard's neck.

 

Leonard whimpers. “You,” he says. “I just want you, I don't—oh, god—I don't care how.”

 

“Fair enough,” Ray says, and braces himself on one arm. “I definitely can't last long enough to fuck you with those _fucking noises_ you're making,” he tells Leonard, and reaches his hand up to Leonard's mouth, “but I still need some lubrication, sweetheart.”

 

Leonard opens his mouth and Ray slips a finger in, and Leonard wets it, drawing up saliva and swirling his tongue around that finger, and the next, and the next, until Ray feels like it's enough. Ray wraps that hand around both of their cocks, building up a steady pace.

 

“Oh, god, _Ray_ ,” Leonard groans, feeling those long, glorious fingers around him.

 

“Mmm, you like that?” Ray asks, nibbling at a spot on Leonard's collarbone.

 

“Fuck, _yes_ ,” Leonard replies, and he can feel pressure building low in the pit of his stomach. “I'm so close,” he whines, and feels Ray grin against his skin. 

 

“Good. _Come for me, Leonard_ ,” he says, picking up the pace of his hand, sucking at a tender area at the base of Leonard's neck.

 

Leonard can feel it pulsing through his entire body, and he cries out as he comes, Ray’s name on his lips. Then Ray is leaning back in, kissing him through the aftershocks.

 

“F _uck_ ,” Leonard pants, when Ray finally breaks away.

 

“Mmm,” Ray agrees, eyeing the come splattered on Leonard’s stomach. Before Leonard can ask what he’s doing, he slides down and starts licking Leonard clean.

 

“Holy _shit_ , Ray,” Leonard groans, unable to take his eyes off this amazing sight. If Leonard hadn’t just come, this would be enough to get him worked up again. As it is, it reminds him that Ray is still hard, still hasn’t come. So he watches and waits, and the second Ray is finished and moves back up for a kiss, Leonard flips them. “My turn,” he says, and is pleased when Ray’s eyes get even wider.

 

Leonard slides down Ray’s body, pressing kisses as he goes, enjoying the light huffs and quiet moans coming out of the other man’s mouth as he makes his way down to Ray’s cock.

 

“God, Leonard,” Ray moans, “I want you so bad, f _uck_.”

 

The sounds Ray is making spur Leonard on, and he nips and licks his way down Ray’s stomach, Ray bucking his hips with every toothy kiss against his skin. Then Leonard reaches his cock and, wow, he’d felt it against him and he’d seen it for a few seconds, but he hadn’t really processed how _large_ Ray is. He’s proportional, but still…

 

“You okay down there?” Ray asks, a laugh clear behind his words.

 

“Yeah,” Leonard responds. “Just, uh, wow.”

 

Ray does laugh out loud at that. “You don’t have to, if you don’t want to, I know it’s a lot.”

 

Leonard responds by licking up the length of him, and Ray’s laugh turns into a heady whine.

 

He hums as he wraps his mouth around Ray’s cock, slowly drawing more of it into his mouth each time he moves down on it. Ray’s hands are balled in the sheets, and the man is clearly trying not to buck up into Leonard’s mouth. But Leonard’s got the rhythm down now, and he taps Ray’s hip sharply, meeting his eyes in what is hopefully a hint that Ray can move.

 

It seems as though Ray reads him loud and clear, because he lets out a low groan and his hips come up, thrusting deeper down Leonard’s throat. Leonard takes it in stride, wrapping one hand around the base of Ray’s cock and jerking as he sucks.

 

“Fuck, _Leonard_ ,” Ray moans, loud and wanton, “I’m gonna come—oh, _fuck_!”

 

Ray comes, hot and heavy, pulsing down Leonard’s throat. Leonard swallows it down as Ray continues to moan, his hips lifted off the bed. Finally, he drops back down, and Leonard uses that momentum to pull off Ray’s cock.

 

“Get back up here,” Ray commands breathlessly, and Leonard complies, curling up against Ray’s side. Ray wraps an arm around his waist and Leonard snuggles in, resting his head on Ray’s shoulder. “Mmm, that was nice,” Ray murmurs, still breathing hard, pressing a soft kiss against Leonard’s hairline.

 

Leonard hums in agreement, warm and content in Ray’s arms.

 

The comfortable silence, however, is cut short by Ray’s phone ringing. “Shit,” he mutters, slipping out from under Leonard and walking over to the pile of clothes on the floor to dig out his phone. Leonard props himself up on one elbow, enjoying the view, as Ray answers the phone.

 

“This is Dr. Palmer…Oh, is he okay?…That’s not too bad, but yeah, I can see why he’ll be out of commission…Yes, I can be on-call, that’s no problem…I’m already home, so it shouldn’t be an issue…Yes, please fill everyone in, thank you Alicia…You too.” He turns to Leonard, his expression vaguely annoyed but not terribly upset. “So, the on-call doctor at the hospital just broke his wrist. He’ll be fine, but I’m next on the list, so I have to be on call.”

 

“So what does that mean for, you know…” Leonard starts and trails off as Ray heads to his wardrobe and pulls out sweatpants and a comfy-looking t-shirt.

 

“Us?” Ray asks, stepping into a clean pair of underwear. Leonard makes a noise of agreement and Ray looks over his shoulder. “You can stay. I mean, I’d like for you to stay, if you want to. I have to keep myself awake, so I’m gonna need a pot of coffee and something to keep me occupied. So, _Lord of the Rings_ extended marathon? And cuddles?”

 

Leonard feels warmth bubbling up in his chest as he nods.

 

“Great!” Ray beams back at him and pulls out another pair of sweatpants and a soft t-shirt. “Here, you can borrow these if you want. We could watch them up here on my laptop, but I’d rather watch them on my giant screen in my living room. Sound okay to you?”

 

Leonard leans forward and accepts the clothes. “Sounds great,” he says, as he puts on the pajamas. “So, we’re starting our second date early?” he asks, smiling, as he walks over to the bookcase to retrieve his glasses.

 

Ray laughs. “Looks like! You can also go to sleep at any time, I don’t want to wreck your sleep schedule.”

 

“We’ll see how things go,” Leonard replies, as Ray leads him out of the room and downstairs.

 

Ray settles Leonard on the couch and goes to make a pot of coffee for himself. Once Ray is gone, Leonard pulls his phone out of his pocket and checks his messages: a few work emails that he’ll get to on Monday and a text from his sister.

 

**_Lisa_ ** _: Thea said you showed up at Ray’s house, I take it you’re not making it home tonight? Don’t forget to use protection ;)_

 

Leonard rolls his eyes, typing out a text and sending it back to her.

 

_As always, dear sister, you’re SO VERY HELPFUL. Yes, I’m staying the night at Ray’s, so don’t wait up for me. Lis, I can’t believe this! He’s amazing, what’s he doing with me??_

 

Lisa texts back before Ray gets back with the coffee, and he grins when he reads it.

 

**_Lisa_ ** _: Shut the fuck up, Lenny, you’re a CATCH!! Ray clearly sees that, you should too. Glad you’re enjoying yourself, though. Have fun <3_

 

_Thanks, sis. Love you._

 

**_Lisa_ ** _: Love you too, dumbass._

 

Leonard puts his phone down as Ray comes in with a tray laden with a giant mug of coffee, two glasses of water, and an overflowing bowl of popcorn. He sets everything down on the coffee table and plops down on the couch next to Leonard, handing over the popcorn, then the glass of water for Leonard, then setting his coffee mug and water glass on the table next to the couch. Leonard leans over to put his water on the floor next to his feet, and settles the popcorn bowl on his lap.

 

“Oh!” Ray says, jumping up, “I need to put the movie in!”

 

Leonard laughs at him as he goes over to the TV, pulling out the box sets of the extended _Lord of the Rings_ movies and piling them on the TV stand. Well, not that the TV is actually on the stand. It’s attached to the wall, and it takes up a good half of the entire wall. The stand seems to just be where the DVD player lives. Ray pops open the player and puts the disc in before walking back over and settling once again on the couch next to Leonard.

 

Ray grabs the remotes, places them next to him on the couch, and then leans back, wrapping his arm around Leonard’s shoulders and pulling him in close.

 

“I meant it when I said cuddles,” Ray says as Leonard snuggles in closer, turning slightly so he can drape his legs over Ray’s knees.

 

“I’m very glad you did,” Leonard says, and they’re about to start the movie when the front door clicks open.

 

Both of them turn their heads to find Thea walking in.

 

“Thea,” Ray says, “you went back out?”

 

She finds them in the dim light of the living room and heads over. “Oh, yeah, I realized I needed to be in the space for one of the issues, and thankfully by that point, everyone else had also left Verdant for the night. What are you guys up to?”

 

“I’m on-call, so we’re watching _Lord of the Rings_ ,” Ray explains.

 

Thea nods, coming around the front of the couch. “Gotcha.”

 

Leonard tries to pull back so he’s not half on top of Ray, but Ray grips him tighter and keeps him where he is. “Stay,” he commands softly, and Leonard stops trying to pull away.

 

“Yeah,” Thea says, “don’t mind me, I’m just saying hi. You guys are cute like that, and as long as you’re not, like, having sex in front of me, I really don’t care what you do.”

 

Leonard looks up to see Ray grinning at him, and he smiles back. It’s impossible not to smile back, with the amount of sunshine and warmth radiating from the other man.

 

Out of the corner of his eye he sees a camera flash, and turns quickly to Thea.

 

“Sorry,” she says, “Lisa would murder me if I didn’t get a picture of that.” She presses a few buttons, clearly sending the picture off, and Leonard groans, burying his face in Ray’s shoulder.

 

“She’s never gonna let me live that down,” he says.

 

Ray laughs. “Is that a problem?”

 

“No,” Leonard replies, his voice muffled against Ray’s shoulder. “It’s not.”

 

“Good,” Ray says, kissing the top of his head. God, Ray kisses him a lot. It’s a nice feeling.

 

Thea’s phone buzzes and Leonard looks back up at her.

 

“Aww,” she says, “okay, Lisa says: _That’s adorable! They look so good together, and I’ve never seen my brother—_ uh, she says she’s never seen you look so, uh, happy?”

 

Leonard doesn’t know Thea that well, but he can tell that’s not what his sister said. “Thea, what did she really say?” he asks.

 

“No, that’s what she said,” Thea says, shifting awkwardly. “I should’ve read the full text before I read it out loud, that’s all, I just tripped over my words.”

 

“Thea,” Ray says, “what did Lisa say?”

 

Thea sighs. “She said she’s never seen you look so in love, okay, I’m sorry. I’m gonna, uh, run away now.” She does so, leaving silence in her wake.

 

“Uh…” Leonard says, unsure of where to go from here. They’ve known each other for like two days, this is definitely way too fast. “Sorry about my sister?” he tries.

 

Ray buries his face in the crook of Leonard’s neck. “It’s okay,” he says, lips pressed against Leonard’s skin. “I’m not freaked out, but I think you are.”

 

Leonard’s hand comes up instinctively, cradling the back of Ray’s neck. “I might be, just a little.”

 

“Well, stop,” Ray says, pulling back and giving Leonard a quick kiss. “Leonard, I’m not looking for casual, here, I hope you know that. I’m past the point in my life where I’m interested in flings; well, actually, I’ve never really been one for flings. Or casual. I don’t really _do_ casual, I guess is what I’m trying to say here.”

 

“You don’t?” Leonard asks, his heart pounding as his hand slides around to rest on Ray’s chest.

 

“I don’t.” Ray cups Leonard’s face, rubbing small circles into his cheekbone. “Is that okay?”

 

Leonard thinks about it for a minute. He definitely isn’t interested in a fling, he knows that much. Not with anyone, but especially not with Ray. “I don’t want casual, either,” he says, “but is this too much too soon?”

 

Ray shakes his head, smiling. “I’ve always heard people say that they _knew_ , the first time they saw their partner. I never got what they meant, until you walked in. I saw you, and I knew.”

 

“Oh.” Leonard takes a deep breath, his heart pounding in his ears. “I think—I think I _knew_ , too, when I saw you.”

 

Then Ray is kissing him, soft and deep, and Leonard sinks into it. Ray’s kisses are attentive, passionate, and sweet. Leonard doesn’t know if he’s ever been kissed before like the way Ray kisses him, but he does know that he’s never gonna want to give this up, not for anything.

 

Finally, Ray pulls back, brushing his lips over the tip of Leonard’s nose. “You wanna watch _Fellowship_ now?”

 

Leonard nods, and settles his head on Ray’s shoulder again, snuggling up for the movie.

 

* * *

 

Leonard wakes up slowly, aware that he is warm and cozy and comfortable, even though his body is at a weird angle, and that someone is gently caressing his head.

 

“Mmm?” he murmurs, and he feels the pillow shift beneath him.

 

“Good morning,” a soft voice says from above him, and he turns on his back to see Ray leaning over him. “How did you sleep?”

 

Leonard realizes that his head is on a pillow in Ray’s lap, and that Ray has been stroking his close-cropped hair. What a way to wake up. “Good morning,” he replies, his words slightly slurred from sleep. He immediately forgets what Ray asked, because Ray is right _there_ and _gorgeous_ and looking at Leonard like there’s nobody else in the whole world. “Hi.”

 

“Hi,” Ray says, grinning down at him. “You’re cute when you’re sleepy.”

 

Leonard makes a non-committal noise and turns on his stomach to bury his face in the pillow again. He hears Ray laughing above him as he burrows his way deeper into the pillow. Ray’s hand resumes petting his head, and he thinks he might purr if the other man keeps it up.

 

“Hey,” Ray says after a few minutes. Leonard turns over on his back, tangling his fingers together with Ray’s. “You want breakfast?”

 

“Sure,” Leonard says, sitting up, slowly. “Do you have an extra toothbrush I can use?”

 

Ray nods. “You can use my bathroom, there should be a clean one under the sink. I’ll start breakfast.”

 

“Thanks,” Leonard says, getting up and kissing Ray on the cheek, before snagging his glasses from the coffee table and heading upstairs.

 

When he comes back downstairs, Ray and Thea are busy in the kitchen. Well, Ray is busy, and Thea is perched on the counter laughing at him. Leonard watches them for a minute, thinking of how he and Lisa are.

 

“You two are really close,” he says, and Ray and Thea turn to look at him, grinning. “I’d think you two were actually siblings. Ray, do you have any brothers or sisters?” he asks.

 

Ray’s face falls slightly, and Leonard feels his heart drop.

 

“Sorry! I didn’t mean—”

 

“No, it’s okay,” Ray says, cutting him off. “You didn’t know.”

 

Thea jumps down from the counter. “I’m gonna go,” she says, “I’ve got brunch with your sister,” she says, winking at Leonard and sauntering out the door.

 

Ray busies himself with the eggs, and Leonard waits.

 

“I had a twin,” Ray finally says, scraping the eggs onto two plates with a spatula.

 

Leonard sits at one of the stools at the counter and waits as Ray puts the plates down and grabs two fresh mugs of coffee.

 

Then Ray joins him at the counter, resting his knee against Leonard’s as they eat.

 

“One day,” Ray says, after a large gulp of coffee, “my brother and dad were on their way back from a soccer game. My mom was sick in bed and I was doing homework. I was always doing homework; I was in advanced classes all throughout school. It was a rainy day and a truck…a truck skidded through a red light and hit their car. They were both dead on impact.”

 

Leonard reaches a hand out, rests it gently on Ray’s knee. “I’m so sorry,” he says.

 

Ray looks up at him and flashes a weak smile. “I was eight, so it was a long time ago.”

 

“Still,” Leonard says. “Lisa was even younger than that when we were put into foster care and, even with that, she still has a lot of bad memories of our father. It doesn’t go away.”

 

“I can only imagine what memories you must have, of him,” Ray says, and Leonard has to look away.

 

“We’re talking about you, right now,” he says.

 

Ray leans over to kiss his cheek. “Okay. When you’re ready, you can tell me. If you want.” He takes another bite of eggs and continues, “My mom was always very hands-off before that. She never really knew what to do with me and Sydney—that was my brother, Sydney—but when he and my dad died, she tried her best to take care of me. She was still a mess, so we were kind of, uh, adopted, in a way, by the Queen family.”

 

“That’s nice,” Leonard says.

 

“Yeah,” Ray agrees. “That’s why Thea and I are so close; we really are practically siblings. And Ollie—Oliver—he’s slightly younger than I am, but I was always a bit of a scrawny nerd, and he looked out for me. So we’re still really close.”

 

“And your mom?” Leonard asks.

 

“She passed away, a few years back.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Leonard says, touching Ray’s shoulder in what he hopes is a comforting manner. It seems to be, since Ray immediately leans into it and places his own hand over Leonard’s.

 

“Thank you. It means a lot, Leonard.”

 

They finish their breakfast in comfortable silence, in constant contact with each other, whether it’s their knees touching, or Ray running a hand along Leonard’s shoulders and back as he goes to refill his coffee cup, or a kiss on the cheek when he comes back with a fresh cup.

 

Leonard can’t believe his luck, can’t believe he’s here, can’t believe that _this_ might be his future.

 

_Yeah_ , he thinks, as he meets Ray’s glowing smile with one of his own, _I could get used to this_.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the coldatomies for support and love, and especially to Ruth, who would die for my e-2 Ray. Love you!


End file.
